This review has been 3 years in the making. On Valentine's Day, 2010, my husband (then boyfriend) and I decided it would be romantic to get a cat to celebrate the day of love. So we headed out to the Victoria Branch of the SPCA.
We took adopting a cat pretty seriously, and so does the SPCA. Their application process is in depth and ensures that pets and owners are perfectly matched.
We knew we wanted an adult cat so we headed to their room. The number of animals was overwhelming. Having recently lost my childhood cat, I wandered the enclosure waiting for one of the cats to "speak to me". I thought I would create some sort of immediate connection, and know that was the one for us. That didn't happen, although we were fairly certain that the one-eyed, three-legged cat that hissed at us wasn't for us.
Being me, I knew I wasn't leaving that room without a cat in my arms, so I forged ahead. That's when these beautiful green eyes caught my attention. Up in one of the top cages was a gorgeous short-haired, black cat. I put my hand against the cage and she rubbed up against it. I thought, maybe this is it!
After much deliberation, Shaun and I headed to the front desk to get more information about our mystery friend. The staff at the front desk were very helpful, pulled her file, and informed us her name was "Cinder" and she was between 9 and 10 years old. She was a new arrival, and her owner had recently passed away. The owners children had brought her in earlier that week. They also told us that they figured she would be at the branch for a while as black cats are notoriously hard to adopt. Apparently the superstitious of black cats still run deep.
After hearing her story, and knowing she'd likely be stuck there fore a while, we decided we wanted to adopt her. The staff reviewed our application, and asked us several questions to ensure we were serious about being pet owners.
We went back to the room to take her home. Now, it is important to note that at this point we still had not taken this cat out of the cage. We had brought a cat carrier, but soon realized our error. As they unlocked the door and pulled the cat out....she...just....kept...coming... She was HUGE! Not only huge, but NOT happy. She hissed and groaned and skulked along the floor of the cat room. The staff member wrapped her in a blanket to calm her, and handed me this heaving black mass and angry feline.
"Way to pick 'em". I thought.
But, in our minds, there was no turning back.
The staff let us borrow a dog carrier to bring her home in (as there was NO way she was fitting in the cat carrier we brought). As we drove home we discussed the name "Cinder", and decided it would have to go. After much deliberation, we chose the name "Barry" or now as she is more commonly known "Bear"
Barry's First Day Home
It's no surprise that Bear was pretty scared when she got home. She pretty much went straight under our bed to hide. We managed to coax her head out a couple times with food (We soon learned that food was a strong motivator for her!)
Bear emerges at last
Barry did eventually emerge from under the bed, but would spend a lot of time under there for the next few weeks. She was very timid, shy and unsure
The first vet visit is included in the adoption fees, so Barry at her checkup within a week of coming home. She had a bit of a cold when she arrived (which often happens with cats from the SPCA), but it cleared up in a couple weeks. Other then that she was given a clean bill of health.
Three years later, Bear has become deeply ingrained in our little family. Her quirky, funny and loving personality shines through on a daily basis. She loves to cuddle, regardless of your comfort as noted below.
and always wants to be with you no matter where you are!
No seriously, no matter WHERE you are!
The joy and happiness "The Bear Cat" has brought to our lives is indescribable and is thanks to the support and education provided to us by the Victoria SPCA.
It is for this reason that I give the Victoria SPCA Adoption Process 5 Polka Dots out of 5.
As always, if you have something, or somewhere you would like me to review, please leave a comment or email me at: email.polka.dot.reviews@gmail.com.
Sparkle On!
Polka Dot.
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